Pokemon Chronicles: The Eyes of Red and Blue
by Wolftriplex
Summary: A powerful, yet abused, Gardevoir named Ruby finds out that through her separation from her trainer, she is seen as both an idle to some; yet a threat to most. Guided by confusion and Destiny, she finds out the true nature of herself and why she was born.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Seperation Leading to Uniting"

The world of Pokemon, a vast world of unimaginable perportions. From seas to rivers, mountains to grasslands, creatures called Pokemon exist as if they were animals, but much more. With abilities that defy even nature itself, they roam alone, in packs, or with their beloved human trainers, whom they call Masters. Most masters use their Pokemon for battle, others use them in competitions, or simply for breeding. Most owners are kind and gentle to them, but there are those that treat them as nothing but a chance to fight.

The tale begins in Laveridge, a relaxing town for the fatigued travelers who just got done climbing Mt. Chimney. The thing that attracted people the most to this city was it's spa, where both Pokemon and people can take thair mind off everything and be at peace, but peace was the last thing tat was going on.

A tremendous battle for the badge was taking place inside the firey gym. There were two opponents inside what appeared to be a drawn in arena. The Gym Leader, a young woman with long orange hair and ponytail with bangs pointing in all directions. She had a balck tanktop on along with a gold belt, blue jeans, and black boots. On the opposite side there was a rather tall teenager with spiky black hair, a black leather vest, black bants and platform boots. He looked intimidating with chains hanging off his clothing and piercings that made his glow.

The young woman had a Torkoal in front of her. She had his hands bent and eyebrows curved, grinding her teeth at the sight of the battle. Her Torkoal was puffing out unwanted air. The other trainer had a Gardevoir in front of him, a regular looking one, except for the red eyes. He had his arms crossed with a malicious grin, but from the look of his Gardevoir, it didn't seem like he should be smiling at all, gasping for breath everytime she breathed in.

"Switch your Gardevoir out already! She's had enough!" the Gym Leader cried out. She was more concerned of what will happen to the Pokemon more than her own match, but the trainer merely shook his head.

"No way! My Gardevoir's on a role!" he hollered. The Gym Leader turned to the refferee of the match, but he shrugged.

"If his Pokemon can fight, then he doesn't have to call him back," the refferee informed. The leader growled underneath her breath, but he had no choice.

"Fine! Then I'll make you! Torkoal! GO!" the leader ordered. The fire Pokemon charged for Gardevoir. The young Trainer pointed towards the oncoming enemy.

"Gardevoir! Psychic now!" he commanded. The Gardevoir lifted up her hand as her eyes and body enveloped in a blue aura. The Gym Leader instantly retaliated.

"Firespin go!" Before the Torkoal lost control, it unleashed a flury of sharp leaves towards the Gardevoir's direction.

"Lightscreen!" Gardevoir lifted her other hand, creating a pink shield, deflecting the blades. "Now, finish him!" Using all of her strength, she screamed, sending the Torkoal into the air and back down. It was the end for the Pokemon as it passed out from the pain. The Leader was shocked, trembling at the sheer will power the pokemon had.

"Torkoal is unable to fight! Chris is the winner!" the refferee confirmed. The trainer named Chris hopped in the air.

"Yes!" he cheered. He stormed to the Gym Leader, not even paying attention to Gardevoir, holding his hand out to her. "You lost, I won! Give me my badge!" The leader grumbled. She first called back for her Pokemon. Any chance of a heartfilled speech about how she wanted to comemerate him shattered. She pulled out a badge, wanted so bad to chuck it at him. Chris took the badge away and made his way to the exit with his chin up. "C'mon Gardevoir!" The psychic Pokemon grunted, but kept up with his pace.

"You're going to lose one day! And it won't be just a match!" the leader cried out, but Chris rolled his eyes.

"As if," he mumbled.

He took no mind to the Pokemon Center or even the shop. The Gardevoir followed her trainer, replacing any want or need with her loyalty towards him. Sweat was leaving a trail of misery behind her. Her tongue wanted to exit for a gasp of air. Her legs were ready to ignite into flames, but she pressed forward. After a two hour hike down the mountain, they stopped for the night at the bottom. She had to show no weakness as she went to the ground slowly. Chris got his sleeping bag ready while the beautiful Pokemon made her grassy place to sleep.

"Eat up!" Chris yelled, tossing an apple to her. She immediately caught it, taking a few seconds to relax her urge to dive into the apple, and bit. Chris went to sleep, fire still crackeling. While she was eating, she stared into the light of the flames. To anyone, they were nothing but a light source, but to her, they told a story.

She saw two little flames dancing around each other with a larger flame grabbing the both of them. That flame begin to dange wit the other flames as well. Another flame, equally as tall, surrounded the other tall flame. It put down the smaller flames and danced with it's partner. This made the Gardevoir smile, almost releasing a tear. The two flames were then seperated. The main one was them engulfed by a fireball. The flame bent over. One by one, flickers of it's own self was shooting out of it. She couldn't help but look upon it, seeing the flame die each second that passed.

A rustle in the bushes caused her to look around. All her senses were hightened, focusing on what made the noise. She was about to ignore it, but the sound came again, but much louder. She coulldn't see very far because of the elevated grass, so she stood up, only to see an Arcanine, growling towards her. She scrambled up, arms out and eyes glowing. She looked back at Chris, sound asleep as she left him. It was just the way she liked it.

The fire dog unleased a stream of flame from it's mouth. The Gardevoir extended her hands out, creating a light purple shield. The fire bounced off the shield. The Arcanine charged for her, mouth ready to clamp. She grabbed both ends of his mouth and began to push. She only slid a few feet before she firmly stopped. It wanted to bite her so bad, pushing against her with all it's might. She began to rock it back and forth until finally, she tossed it to the ground. She then picked it up with her psychic, throwing it acfoss the field.

Turning around, thinking that it was finished, she gazed upon Chris to see if he was okay. He finally began to wake up, causing her to smile.

"Ga-Gardevoir?" Chris yawned. She had to turn around again, clenching her hands towards the tenacious Pokemon. It formed a ball of fire inside it's mouth while she formed a purple ball. "Gardevoir! Not Shadow Ball! Use Psychic!" For once, she didn't listen to him. She had to protect him at all cost

The two fighters unleashed their power at each other. Both of them collided, one trying to overcome the other. Each Pokemon were waiting to see whos power will be greater. Unfortunetly, favor didn't fall in the hands of either of them. The blast released an explosion, launching them in opposite directions. Chris ducked, but didn't realize till after he arose that she was gone.

"Gardevoir?" he said softly. Slowly, he rose from the ground. All he could possibly see was the lucious field and a dirt patch where the explosion lied. The possibility of his Pokemon being gone finally clicked inside his head. "Gardevoir!? GARDEVOIR!" He took one step forward, then one to the right. He had no idea where to start, but he needed to go. He ended up heading back to ____ city.

The Gardevoir was on a collision course into the tree tops of a forest. One after another, she bounced off branches and trunks. Splinters was the least of her injuries as she soared to the ground. Lucky for her, the collision of the branches made the landing softer. Wild Pokemon scattered at the mere sound of her pressence. She was now on the ground, body virtually motionless. She didn't move for minutes. The natives were wondering what she was doing or if she was even going to fidget. From Rattatas to Tailows, they closed in on her.

A moan and a move of her arm issued a retreat in all of their minds. Using any available energy she may have, she placed her hands on the ground and pushed up. She was able to get to her knees before she had to rest. Her senses indicated that there were those watching her, so she scanned the enviornment. They looked more afraid of her than she was of them, so she held in some air and spoke.

"Can anyone help me?" she said faintly. The Pokemon just dove deeper in their hiding spots. She knew they weren't going to do anything but cower. Placing her hand on her knee, she forced herself up and began to walk. The Pokemon followed close behind her. She was limping extravigantly, She had no idea where she was, but knew where she was going. She could hear a stream from afar, giving her a hope of clean water. She periodically gazed back, seeing that they got further and further away as she grew closer to the river. As soon as she could see it, they vanished. She cocked an eyebrow up, but she had to leave an answer for that later.

Dipping her hands in the water, she was able to get a drink. It was natural,pure, and rather taste fulfilling. She gathered more, never experiencing such freedom in a long time. She was practically smiling every time she could. As soon as she had her fill, she slowly went in. The wounds didn't make it any better, but she had to clean herself so the situation wouldn't become worse. What she didn't realize was that many eyes were watching her, many she couldn't detect.

They were Murkrows, a flock of them gazing upon the weakened meal. With stomachs growling from only eating smaller meals, a piece of her would feed them for weeks, including their leader. In the middle was a HonchKrow with nothing but a serious look in his eyes.

"C'mon! 'et's chew 'er up! I'm 'ungry enough just watching 'er!" one Murkrow complained, but the HonchKrow lifted up a wing to silence him. They waited for him to respond. Although he did respond, it was not in words; however, it was in action. With swiftness like the wind, he dove down. The Gardevoir turned around, but was picked up and slammed against a tree. She tried to get up, but her strength was still low. The Honchcrow landed on the ground, blowing dust aside as he made his grand entrance. The Murkrows landed all around him with cackles and grins.

"Whoooooo aaaarrre yooooouuu tooo driiiiink frooom ouuuurrrr RIVEEEER!" he bellowed. His voice was deep, threatning, and full of rage. He lifted up his wings, readying himself for a battle.

"I'm just trying to get out of here," the powerless Pokemon said, trying her best to get up. The Honchcrow stomped over ot her and pinned her against the tree with it's foot. She was completely inmobile, but she still struggled to get loose.

"Youuuuu woooould nooot neeeed tooo fiiind aaa waaaaaay ouuuut iiiiif yoooouu haaaad nooooooot ENTEEEEERED!" He began to crush her, causing her to scream. Not even her adrenaline would give her enough strength to free her. The Honchkrow lowered her eyelids as his leg began to tremble. The Gardevoir began to loose conciousness, reminencing on her whole life with any second she was given.

The HonchKrow immedeately let go and flew backwards. A purple tail barely nicked his beak as he landed on the ground. It was a Delcatty, back arched and knees bent with a hiss.

"C'mon Mariano! This is a new low, even for you!" the cat pokemon hollered. The Honchkrow named Mariano opened his wings yet again.

"Iiiiii caaan flyyyyyy tooo the skyyyyy! Theeeeere iiiiis nooo looooow fooor MEEEE!" Mariano shouted. The Murkrows surrounded their leader, following him to towards the lone rebel. The Delcatty was now frightened, constantly looking back at the Gardevoir.

"Can you get up?" she whispered. The Gardevoir attempted to lift herself, but gravity was too much. All she could do was shake her head. The cat was getting anxious real fast. She looked back into the shadows of the forest. "C'mon you guys! Give me some back up, please?" The forest dwellers did nothing but back off. She turned around, just in time to see Mariano charge after her. "Get on!" She tucked her head under the defensless Pokemon and got her on her back. Quickly, she pounced over the Honchkrow and ran deeper within the forest. Mariano twisted his body around and slammed his feet on the tree. With a strong push, he hurtled his way towards the defiant cat. The Murkrows followed their leader close behind.

Swerving through the trees, the Delcatty made sure she was a tough target to chase. Most of the Murkrows bashed into the trees in the pursuit, but Mariano was right on her tail. The Delcatty looked back every few seconds, but nothing seemed to shake the enlarged bird. She was running out of energy and had to think of something fast. She began to slow down bit by bit. Mariano felt pretty confident, reaching so close that he was able to practically bite her tail.

She suddenly took a swift right turn. Mariano was dazed a bit, but not enough to throw him off completely. The Delcatty quickly bend over and gently put the Gardevoir on the ground. She faced the dark bird, planting her feet onto the ground. Her body began to glow yellow with sparks shooting out.

"AHHHHHH!" She unleashed a ball of electricity as it hurtled towards the leader. He pulled himself up and flapped his wings to slow down, but the bolt hit him. He didn't make a sound as the bolt engulfed him. The energy of the shock disperssed. The Delcatty was breathing heavily, hoping that he was done, but he wasn't even close. He stood up, shaking some crisp feathers off of him. He began to stomp towards the two fatigued Pokemon.

Suddenly, Mariano was ungulfed with sparks of lightning. He was paralyzed as he kneeled down. The cat hero knew she only had a limited time, so she picked up the Gardevoir and fled. Mariano began to go to his feet, still trembeling by the shock. His Murkrow followers surrounded him.

"Are you alright!?" one Murkrow hollered. Mariano slapped him.

"Quiiiiiiet. Scoooout ouuut fooooooooor theeem," he said deeply. That was enough for the birds to scatter throughout the forest. Mariano stood in one place, thinking nothing but the Gardevoir he encountered. He took off, dust scattering throughout the forest floor. Silence was left in the battlefield.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"The Reign of the Birds"

Somewhere far away from the recent rumble, a mossy hut lied, completely camoflauged from any outside detection. The dome was as tall as a large boulder, but it was a lot more spacious inside. The living room was the first place anyone would enter. A guest would either take a quick right to step down to it or keep going forward to the dining room. The living room had a coffee table in the middle surrounded by a couch and a few chairs. The dining room had one table with two chairs. Straight behind was the kitchen with nothing but a cubboard and a fridge. The last room on the far right was an open bedroom with a hammock.

The Delcatty was on the hammock, sleeping soundly. The Gardevoir was on the couch, resting from the recent action. She had a hand on her stomach, breathing from her mouth. Her injuries were treated a bit, but not enough to ignore further treatment. She wasn't resting like the other Pokemon, she was sweating and twisting.

Her mind was filled with black images, many of them she couldn't make out so well. Everthing was completely light blue, flowing around like steam. The first figure was one of a cat. The cat looked a lot like the Delcatty as it came closer to her at a slow pace. The cat then morphed into another cat, a thinner one with a swirly tail. It quickened it's pace, but it's walk was an elogant walk it's feet aligned with each other with each step. It then morphed into a longer cat with a curl at the end of it's tail. It was now charging towards her, launching towards her and pounced with a growl.

"AHHHH!" the Gardevoir hollered, shooting straight up.

"WAAAH!" the Delcatty cried out after, jumping from her hammock and landing, chin first, into the ground. The psychic Pokemon held her stomach in pain, grunting as she lays back down. The Delcatty went to her feet with a groan. She then saw her guest in agony. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?" She ran over to her side. The Gardevoir tried to get up again, but the cat jumped up and put her hands on the couch. "No no no! You can't get up! You're too hurt!"

"But . . . I have to, Urrk!" she grunted. No matter what amount of pain she was going through, she still forced herself to get up.

"No way! You won't make it!"

"Yes I will . . ."

"Listen!" The cat jumped on the couch and faced the Gardevoir directly. "I hate to be rude and stubborn, but you need to rest! No moving until you get better, okay?" The psychic Pokemon stopped for a bit. She looked into the determined Pokemon's eyes, then looked into her own self. She laid back down as the Delcatty got off. "I'm sorry, I just don't want you to go back out there like that."

"It's alright," the Gardevoir responded. They both were silent. Not even the wind would make a sound, making the enviornment akward

"So, what's your name?" she wondered. The Gardevoir sat up a bit.

"My name's Ruby," the Gardevoir said softly.

"Oh? Were you named because of your eyes?" the Delcatty wondered. Ruby nodded.

"Ya," she chuckled.

"Oh, I forgot my manners! I'm Helena. There's nothing special about my name, my mom just liked it," the cat chuckled. Ruby laughed too. "So what are you doing here? You looked like you already been through a fight before you got here." Ruby looked down, silent for a bit.

"I have a trainer. We got attacked and seperated." Her voice was deep and soft. Helena's ears tucked down and her eyebrows sunk.

"Oh I'm so sorry! So that's why you want to leave so fast, huh?" Ruby nodded. Her head began to tilt down slowly, a tear forming slowly. She clenched her hands, but her strength wouldn't allow her to keep it up. Helena felt her heart ache. In a split second, she charged for the kitchen.

"Hold on a sec!" She began to dig through the cabinents. Her paws were scuffling through the many plates, cups, and bowls, all handcrafted by wood. She practucally had to stuff half of her body into the storage place.

A thought then went through Ruby's head. Helena reminded her of the dream she had earlier. Although there were three cats, one of them were the same shape as her, maybe bigger. There was no doubt, however, that it was her. The thought of that possibility frightened her a bit; although, the kindness this pokemon showed made it almost impossible for her to be evil in any way.

"Found it!" Helena pulled herself out as dishware flew everywhere. She landed on her bottom with a blue berry in her mouth. Her eyes were wide, seeing the mess she made. Ruby couldn't help but chuckle. Helena got to her feet and ran over to the humanoid Pokemon. She opened her mouth and let the berry fall in Ruby's lap. "It's an Oran Berry! It's my last one, but you need it more than I do!" Ruby couldn't help but smile; yet she pushed the food towards her.

"Oh no! I coul-"

"No no no no! You need to get to your trainer as soon as possible and this will heal you right up!" The persistance of the cat overpowered Ruby's, so she took her kind offer. She grabbed a hold of the lucious fruit, wiping off some of the saliva from Helena. Opening her mouth, she chewed off a piece, crunching it a few times and swallowing. In a matter of seconds, her energy shot back into her body. It wasn't all of it, but almost three times as much then what she had before. Forgetting her manners, she tore the food to shreds and engulfed it all in seconds.

Her wounds were healed, her energy revitalized, it was a miracle. She pounced off the couch, hoping over the cat like a cat herself. She landed, standing up with her arched back. She looked at her arm, forming a small, dark purple ball. She could feel the power circulate through her body.

"Wow! That did the trick did it?" Helena said with joy. Ruby nodded.

"Ya it did! Thank you Helena for all your help!" Ruby hollered. She began to charge for the door with high spirits. She was then stopped by Helena.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You can't go out there by yourself!"

"But you said I needed to go to him now!"

"It's dangerous out there! You'll be ki . . ." She stopped dead. Her ears perked up. Ruby raised an eyebrow, but realized what caused her own perplexity. Outside the hut were sounds of chattering. The sounds were soft and high toned, those of youngsters. Ruby turned to Helena. The cat nodded, slowly pushing the door open. Helena was the first one to see what was outside, her mouth hanging open at the sight. She turned her head to Ruby and cocked it towards the entrance. "Look!" Ruby grabbed the door seal and poked her head out. Once she did, a chorus of gasps engulfed their eardrums.

Hundreds of young pokemon were gazing upon her, almost backing away at the sight of her. There were many kinds, from Rattata's to Bidoofs, Tailows to Pidgeys, and Wurmples to Caterpies. There were no evolved Pokemon among them. Ruby remembered seeing these Pokemon when she first came; yet didn't expect there to be so many. Ruby walked out, watching everyone carefully. She could hear them whispering something, something about her. Finally, one Rattata got a hold of his nerves and walked forward.

"Are . . . Are you going to save us?" he said. Ruby's muscles locked at such a question.

"From who?" she wondered. All the Pokemon shivered. They didn't say another word, so Ruby turned to Helena, still shocked.

"Who are they?" she whispered. The Delcatty walked by her side.

"These are the natives of this forest," she announced. Ruby turned back to the crowd. She could hardly count them all there was so many.

"What happened to them? They look so scared and helpless." The eyes of the small pokemon were full of fear, doubt, and weakness.

"Mariano is what happened . . ." The mention of his name frightened all the younglings, some even cower behind the trees. "This place used to be very peaceful, a place for young pokemon to grow before going out into the real world. It was about a month ago when Mariano came with his flock. The power he had ravaged through everyone. Since he was an evolved pokemon and a bird type, he was able to fight against the parents of some and the sheer number of supporters made it worse. No one was able to stand up to him. There was one, however, took him down." She stopped for a second, gazing upon the hopefilled eyes of the children. Ruby was about to ask who; however, the Rattata hopped forward.

"You can beat him! You can help us!" he shouted. The thought of it brang everyone to a holler of joy. Ruby was struck with so much pressure, backing away from the enthusiastic Pokemon.

"No, I can't," she tried to convince them, but they were filled with so much hope that they drowned out her voice. Nothing would calm them down at this point. However, a screech from the distance silenced all. The forest grew quite. The whimpers of everyone echoed throughout the forest.

Suddenly, the Murkrows shot out of the trees and began to encircle the hut. The pokemon attempted to flee; however, they were stopped by Murkrows landing on the ground around them. Helena ran out, standing in front of the children, hissing towards them. Ruby ran by her side, confused by the pandemic. From the treetops, they could see Mariano glide towards them. He landed with no care of how hard his landing was. Dust flew everywhere as the kids hid behind the evolved Pokemon. Ruby readied herself with Helena as Mariano stomped towards her.

"Sooooo, yoou surviiiiiiived. Hooow uuuuunofortuuuuunete," the Honchkrow grumbled.

"You stay back!" Ruby cried out. Mariano stopped in his tracks. His eyes were actually widened. He couldn't move for that breif second, but he came back to his senses.

"Doooo nooot geeeet iiiin myyyy WAAAAAY!" Mariano charged forward, swiping a wing to her head. She leaned her body back, dodging the wing. She lifted her leg up and began to kick. Once Mariano finished his attack, he saw the foot, but it was took late. He was roundhouse kicked in the face as he stumbled to the ground. Ruby's body swung around as finished, placing a hand on the ground as it dragged a bit. Everybody was full of shock. The Murkrows tried to help their leader, but he pushed them aside. He took his humiliation and threw it aside with wings spread out. "I comeeeeend yooou foooor yooour effooort, buuuut iiiiiiiit's noot enoooough." He charged forward again; yet, he went over Ruby. Quickly, he snatched the spirited Rattata up.

"NO!" Ruby cried out. She tried to reach for him, but couldn't. All the children were screaming, crying, and panacking.

"Fooor goiiiing agaaaaainst myyy ruuuule, heeee wiiill suffeeeer. Leeeeave noooooow ooor moooore wiiiill coooome." He began to rise into the sky as the Murkrows followed, cackiling through the forest. Ruby's hand was still out, stunned beyond comprehension. Instead of blaiming everything on herself, she turned to the youngsters.

"Why aren't you doing anything!?" the psychic pokemon shouted. The pokemon didn't say anything. They just walked in place, cried, or sat down.

"Ruby, they're just kids. They can't do anything by themselves," Helena whispered. Ruby clenched her hands. She then stood on top of a tree trunk, getting everyones attention.

"Don't you see why he controls this forest!? It's not because you are powerless, but he made you THINK your powerless! He stripped away your courage and made you rely on others! There are 10 times more of you then them! If you were to stand up and fight, you would drive him away from here forever!" Even Ruby's speech wouldn't move them. Ruby awaited for a response, but figured one wasn't coming. She sighed, bending over a bit. "I'm sorry. You guys are young. I shouldn't expect that much from you." She left it at that as she left deep into the forest. Helena looked back at the kids, seeing them standing around with fear.

"Don't worry, we'll bring him back," Helena insured. She made her way to Ruby, leaving the children to do nothing but go back to their own lives.

Deep withen the forest, there lied an open space where tons of nests were set up in the trees around them. Tons of Murkrows were making their way to the center, hopping for joy at what's to come. Mariano eventually came into the picture with the young Rattata at it's clutches. When he landed, he merely threw the mouse onto the floor. He landded with a grunt, causing all the bird pokemon to cackle. He got up quickly, looking around him with fright. What frightened him the most was the bones that surrounded him. There were a variety of them; yet he could see some of his own kind. He almost went into a comma after seeing this; however, he stood tall. Mariano lifted up a wing, towering over the Rattata.

"Leeeeet uus feeeeeeeast!" the Honchkrow hollered. The flock shouted with joy, closing in on the young mouse. Mariano made one step closer to him and with that, the youngster bit him on the leg. He shouted with pain, kicking him off of his leg. He charged forward; however, he lifted his body up and flapped his wings, barely dodging a dark purple ball. The sphere smacked a Murkrow into a tree, knocking it out in an instant.

Out of the thickets of the woods Ruby and Helena came, charging through the Murkrows and by the Rattata's side. Mariano landed on the ground, looking towards the two opposers. He loved looking down at the Delcatty; however, he dispised having to look up at the tall Gardevoir.

"Soooo, yooou haaaaave cooome tooo steeeeal ooour fooooood?" Mariano grumbled. Ruby lowered her stance and stood tall.

"Yes, but I"m here to make a deal," Ruby offered. Mariano turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Aaa deaaaaal yooou saaaay? Souuuuunds inteeeerestiiiiing," Mariano grinned, lowering his fighting stance. "Whaaaat iiis iiiiit youuuuu waaant tooo waaaaager?" He gazed upon the body of the Gardevoir, seeing how much meat she had on her. He licked his beak at the anticipation.

"A fight, you and me. If I win, you leave, if you win, you have me for dinner," Ruby declared. The flock began to chant for their leader. Mariano stomped his foot into the ground, wings extended to the max.

"Iiiiit shaaal beeee dooooone!" The Murkrows fluttered to the tree tops, getting the best branch to watch the battle. Once they all landed, they began to stomp their feet. The sound echoed across the forest, frightning any frail heart. They chanted their leaders name as the two fighters readied themselves. Helena turned to Ruby.

"Are you crazy Ruby!? He's your weakness! None of your attacks will work on him!" she whispered. The Gardevoir turned to her friend and smiled.

"Don't worry!" she said with glee. It was the first time she saw her so calm. Helena couldn't help but trust her. She cocked her head to the side a little before turning back to the tyrant. Helena kneeled down to the child's level.

"Come with me," she whispered. The Rattata nodded as they ran for cover behind a tree. The crowd was now silent, waiting for someone to make a move. Ruby had her feet already planted into the ground. There was no way she was going to budge, glaring towards Mariano. The Honchkrow, however, had very little patience.

As fast as a strike of lightning, he shot towards the Gardevoir. He began to spin his body like drill. Ruby sunk her body onto her knees, bending them with extreme flexibility. Mariano was barely above her body. HSe immediately placed her hand on the ground and kicked upwards. Mariano skyrocketed into the air. Ruby hopped onto her feet and pounced to a nearby tree. With that, she kicked off the bark and arrived right above the bird. With a great punch, she blew the Honchkrow to the ground.

She landed and got back into position easily. Mariano had a little trouble; however, he was okay. WIth a thunder clap of his wings, he unleashed a gargantuan wave of wind. Ruby easily shot out her hands and blocked it with a blue shield. Mariano took the chance and hurtled forward. Ruby lowered her eyes. When the black bird reached six feet away from her until Ruby brought back her leg and kicked up. She struck him in the chin, but she pressed her foot on his face and jumped, forming a dark ball of energy and shot it into his stomach.

She twirled around in the air and landed perfectly. Helena cheered with the Rattata as the Murkrows booed. The bird began to growl, rising to his feet slowly. With all the anger in his heart, he lifted his wings and shouted. A stream of black energy shot out of his body and headed towards Ruby. The Murkrows cheered at the sight of the attack. Ruby covered her face with her arms pressed against each other, creating a light pink shield. The beam grazed against her shield and disperssed. Mariano went on one knee, breathing heavily.

Mariano almost went into a panic. He could see the the Gardevoir, not even touched at all. He began to break into a sweat, until he looked above him. He glared towards his followers. They began to cackle as they nodded slowly. The Honchkrow leader got back on his feet, readying himself for an attack. He flapped his wings one at a time, each releasing a gust of wind. Ruby blocked each one with a blue shield form each hand.

Out of nowhere, Ruby was struck from behind. The sudden shock threw her off balance. Mariano quickly released another blast of wind, smacking her against a nearby tree. The flock went into an uproar of cheers.

"Ruby!" Helena cried out. The Gardevoir was perfectly fine as she rose to her feet. She shifted her eyes around, but had to focus on Mariano again. The Honchkrow hurtled his way to Ruby, stomping in front of her. The bird swipped towards her a few times. Ruby dodged every single attack, eyes focused on him. She went for a punch; however, something hit her in the shoulder. She was knocked off balance; then smacked into a tree by Mariano.

The black bird picked her up and lifted her high in the air. She pulled her body up and wrapped her legs around his neck. The two fell straight to the ground. Ruby tried her best to get lose from the dreaded pokemon, but she couldn't. Mariano flapped his wings and stayed afloat. They were high above the tree tops, both struggling to get away from each other. Mariano was losing his breath, slowly letting go of his grip. Helena was bitting her lips at the sight. She then saw one of the Murkrows dissapear from the branches. She had no idea where it went, but shortly after that, Ruby was struck. The phycic pokemon fell to the ground. The birds laughed maniacally as gravity pulled her down. Ruby twisted her body around and tucked her body into a ball. She was able to roll onto the ground, but was still injured. Mariano crushed his feet into the ground as he spread his wings. Ruby got up, now stressing to rise to her feet. Mariano unleashed a huge gust of wind quickly. The Gardevoir jumped to the side. She was about to be attacked from behind without her notice.

Suddenly, a black wolf shot out of the bristles of the woods. It clamped it's teeth onto a Murkrow, who was about to attack her from behind. Ruby turned around with eyes wide open.

"ACK! Let me go!" the black bird shouted. It was a Mightyena, strong and bold. His black fur gleamed in the sun, but the silver fur underneath shined ever more.

"Coward. You use trickery to fool the mind of a warrior who surpases you greatly," he said, throwing the Murkrow to a tree. Helena ran out to Ruby's side, glaring towards the decieving bird.

"Hey! You cheated!" Helena cried out. The Honchkrow grinned.

"Oooooh, Iiiii diiiiid noooooot. IIIIIII siiiimply uuuuuused myyyyyy advaaaantageeees ooof beeeing aaaa leeeeader!" he chuckled. He lifted his wings as the Murkrows began to fly around him, cackling as licked their beaks. The Mightyena came to Ruby's side along with Helena.

"Greetings are called for, but when we are finished here," the wolf pokemon stated. Helena gazed at the dozens of Murkrow circling above, gulping down some of her courage.

"I think we'll be finished with our lives here," she shuttered. Ruby readied herself, still out of breath from the battle. It was now a test of patience as the birds continued to circle. They grew silent. All that could be heard was the soft flapping of their wings.

"Attaaaaaaack!" Mariano cried out. With that, the flock soared towards the team. The sheer amount of them covered the sky, dashing towards the three warriors.

Suddenly, a gargantuan gust of wind blew them off course. Most crashed into the trees or ground while others flew into the sky. All the Murkrows were disorientated, leaving the rest completely perplexed.

"L-leave them a-a-alone!" Out of the thickets came the brave Rattata. Along with him was the band of the native younglings, all ready to fight. They far outnumbered the Murkrows, frightning them in seconds. Mariano growled, diving to the ground and landed with a gargantuan thunp. He shifted to his fellow Murkrows with a holler.

"Foooools! Scaaaared aaand beeeateeeen byyyy meeeeere kiiiids! Fiiiight!" Mariano bellowed. The dark birds quickly regained their senses and went back into formation. In seconds, they charged for them. The young pokemon were petrified, backing up little by little.

"C'mon! We can take them!" Ruby encouraged. Just nthose words gave them enough courage to not only stand their ground, but move forward. Ruby, Helena, and the Mightylena also moved forward. Each had a shred of doubt in their mind, but it wasn't enough to push them into battle.

The two armies clashed, all biting, slashing, and blowing each other away. The air pokemon would gust them to the ground while the foot pokemon beat them to a pulp. Ruby, along with Helena and the black wolf, were side by side, watching each others back as they fought. Ruby would throw punches, kicks, and toss them around while Helena smacked them with her tail. The Mightyena would swipe at them or latch onto them with his mouth. All was going well for the rebels; however, not for long. Helena turned around with eyes wide open.

"Ruby look out!" the cat shouted. Ruby shifted her body completely; yet, she was too late to catch Mariano. The leader tackled her to the ground, holding her down with his foot.

"Youuuuu aaaare strooooong, buuut youuuuu wiiiill faaaaail aaaaas diiid Oooooswald!" Ruby raised an eyebrow as she attempted to get his foot off of her.

"Oswald?" Before she could say anything else, Helena rammed into him. He struggled to stay up, still exhausted from the late fight. The Mightyena took care of one more Murkrow before he went to her side. Mariano growled, but no matter how threatning he tried to make himself look, he still went on one knee as if it was over.

"Give it up tyrant. It ends here," the wolf said. Mariano grinded his teeth. He was about to rise to his feet; however, a Murkrow landing next to him made him think otherwise. He looked into teh air, seeing none of his followers. A quick look around him revealed that they were on the ground, defeated as if they were nothing but play toys. Mariano shuttered for the first time.

"I-IIIIt doooes nooot eeeeend h-heeeeere! Weeeee sh-shaaaall reeeeturn wiiith moooore!" the gargantuan bird stuttered. Ruby was about to shout back; instead, the confident Rattata walked up to him, head held up high.

"Then we will have more and beat you again!" he hollered. The rest of the adolescents surrounded him, all laughing and snickering. Mariano began to shake uncontrollably. With adreniline shooting throughout his body, he flapped his wings and rose high into the air.

"Fleeeee! FLEEEEEEE!" Every bird scattered in multiple directions, one not following the other. With that, the children cheered in victory. It was a crushing defeat for the boss, scarring his reputation for life. Ruby and Helena were hugging and holding hands as they hopped with joy. The others then picked both of them up and began to cheer for them. Everyone was so overfilled with joy that no one wanted to talk about anything but what they just accomplished.

"Wait, wait!" Ruby hopped down along with Helena. The crowd calmed down a bit to hear what she has to say. "Why are you cheering for me? You guys were the ones that beat them." The Rattata walked forward with a bright smile.

"Ya, but it was you who encouraged us to fight. If it wasn't for you, than we wouldn't of come," he said. Ruby felt a warm feeling inside of her. She then was reminded of something immedeately.

"Oh, speaking of saving people." Ruby turned to the Mightyena, kneeling down to his level. "Thank you. Might I know the name of my rescuer?" The Mightyena nodded a little.

"It was my pleasure. I am called Zarex," he announced. He then turned to Helena, causing her to jump. "And who might you be?" His smile caused her to go speechless for a few moments, but she got most of her senses back.

"My Helena is name! I mean Helena is name! I mean HELENA! Is my name . . . Helena." she stammered. She stumbled over her own tongue so much it made Zarex laugh.

"Well Name, or shall I call you Helena for short?" Zarex coyed with the cat. Helena turned and blushed with an embarresing smile. "Don't worry, I'm only joking." He turned to Ruby, destroying any hint of emotion in his face. "Now Ruby, I must ask you something."

"Hold it. How'd you know my name?" Ruby snapped. She began to glare at him; however, it did not change his look one bit. He walked back a few steps.

"I'm sorry, I heard your name being called while I was watching. Now, you must tell me, have your visions been blue?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. She almost went into a defensive position before letting another word come out of her mouth.

"Wait a minute. What are you suggesting?" She was growling underneath her breath. Her eyes were fixed on him as she snorted. Zarex remained calmed, sitting down with his eyes closed.

"Please, the Eeveeluters need to know. I am but a humble messenger." Ruby didn't tear down her stance; yet she did change her emotion. After a slight investigation, she straightened her back, gazing upon him with an eyebrow raised.

"Who exactly are the Eeveeluters?"

"It is exactly in their name. They are a superior race of evolved Eevees with uncaning abilities. Now please, if you'll answer my question we can-"

"Let me meet them." Ruby leaned forward towards the Mightyena. "I want to tell them myself if they want to know so bad." Zarex took a deep breath. He began to meditate on the thought. At this moment, Helena walked to the Gardevoir's side.

"Um, don't you want to find your trainer?" She asked. The mission still didn't leave Ruby's heart. The pain of her loss was a great one.

"Ya, but what am I to do? I have no idea where I am and if I just start wandering, I'll be lost. Maybe these Eeveluters will help me." Helena couldn't help but sigh. Zarex finally opened his eyes.

"I suppose it won't hurt." Zarex turned around and began to walk. "However it's a long journey. Anytime you want to quit, just tell me what I need to know and I will go by myself." Zarex was slowly going out of sight. Ruby and Helena quickly catch up to him. Ruby's eyes were fixed forward with arms clenched.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 A Fight For Elogance

Through the thickets of the forest the team of three went. Zarex took point, hopping over bushes and jumping between trees. Helena was directly behind him, taking a deep breath as she attempted to keep up. Ruby had to literally climb through the forest in order to keep up with the quadropedal animals; however, she had no trouble keeping pace. To them, the forest seemed to last forever, at least to both Helena and Ruby. Out of the hours of practically no talking, the cat was the first one to speak.

"So, where are these, uh, Eeveelotions?" Helena asked. Zarex turned to her, head sinking down a bit with a straight face.

"They're named Eeveelutions, and they reside in a mountain miles from here," Zarex announced. He gazed his eyes back forward. Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"A mountain? Why there?" the Gardevoir asked. Zarex didn't bother turning his head towards her; nonetheless, he answered.

"It's the perfect place for their type. From the exterior, there is ice and plant life and the occasional thunderstorm. From the outside, the ice melts into water that drips inside. There is also lava, which creates the brightest light, but also the darkest shadows," he explained. Helena cocked her head with a jaw slightly opened.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way," the Delcatty said. Zarex nodded. It was beginning to become a long term of silence again as they traveled. Helena fastened her pace, keeping to the wolf's side.

"So how are you related to them?" she pondered. The black wolf turned his eyes to the yellowish cat with a slight smile.

"One of them is my master. I would call him my father if not master." Helena gasped, stopping at her tracks. She noticed her shock, catching up to the canine.

"Father? Does that mean your an orphan?" This time, his head remained forward. Even Ruby awaited for the answer; however, the sound of chirpping was the only sound that remained. He stopped completely. Helena was about to stop, but her next step was halfway into a river. She shot out, jumping and shaking a little.

"Splendid, a stream," Zarex said. He shifted his body around to Ruby as the cat shook her body. "Please get some water before we leave." He didn't have to ask Ruby twice. She sped walked to the river and went to her knees. Making her hand into a cup, she gathered water in her palms. Before she drank it, she inspected the purity of the liquid. Zarex lowered his head; yet kept and eye on her. Once the bipedal Pokemon took the drink, he did too. Helena licked herself dry before she took the drink. As soon as they finished, Helena sose her head and sighed.

"Ahhh! That hit the spo-" Before Helena could finish, a Dustox flew past them. The cat shot to the air, clenching onto a branch. "What was that!?" Her claws were driven deep into the core of the lumber. Soon, there were also Butterfrees, Mothims Combrees, Vespiquens, Dustoxs, and Beautiflies that flew by them, all speaking to one another. There was also a line of Caterpies, Wurmples, Metapods, Silcoons, and Cascoons, and Burmys, all heading the same direction. The beauty and grace these bugs caught Ruby in a trance. Once Helena came to her senses, she traveled down the tree slowly.

"Wonder what's going on," the psychic pokemon said. Once the traffic of Pokemon ceased, Zarex hopped across the stones of the river.

"We will find out, seeing that we must head in that direction," the wolf said. Helena and Ruby realized they were being left behind, so Ruby was the first to go. Once she made it across, she awaited for Helena.

"Come on," Ruby said, waving her arm to her. Helena gazed at the water. She gulped as her knees shook. She slowly lowered her paw to the first rock. A Magikarp shot out of the water near her.

"AHHH!" she screamed. She backed up to the nearest tree, shaking her head frantically. "No no no no! Uh, I-I'll find the ne-nearest bridge!" Ruby placed her hands on her hips. She could see Zarex escape her sight quickly, so she raised her hand towards the scared cat. Her eyes eluminated a blue light. The same light hazed over Helena as she began to float. "Whoa!" She was kicking around, trying to reach the ground as she elevated. The tall Pokemon shifted her body and hand to the left as the cat's body followed. "Whoa! Whoa! This is freeeakyyyyy!" Her scrambling caused her to twirl. Ruby covered her mouth as she giggled. She gently put her on the ground. The cat puffed her cheeks. "Hey! Warn me next time!"

"Sorry, ha ha ha," she laughed. Helena growled underneath her breath. With an elongated exhale, she came back to a joyful mood.

"Quickly!" Zarex hollered. The two stragglers jumped in the air, charging after Zarex. After a few minutes of traveling, they arrived where all the commotion was.

The area ahead was squared off with trees staging the area. From bark to bark, Caterpies, Burmies, and Wurmples were hopping across, all leaving a trail of silk. At the bottom, Cascoons, Metapods, and Silcoons were hardning their bodies, rolling over the grass, flattning it the plants to the dirt. The Vespiquens, along with the Conbrees were decorating the sides of the trees with small honey combs, glazing them with honey as they shinned brightly. The Butterfrees, Mothims, and Dustoxs were fluttering around the edges of the boundary of the area, set by the trees, releasing pollens of magnificent color. The pollens made flowers perk up and bloom in seconds.

"What're they up to? It looks beautiful!" Helena hollered. One Wurmple from a tree beside them stopped, crawling down to their level.

"It's the marriage of King Martin's daughter! You don't know?" the worm Pokemon said. Helena's face lite up like a firework in the sky.

"Wow! How romantic!" she yelled. Zarex looked around a bit.

"It seems we have to go around," he announced. He began to walk as Ruby followed. Helena frowned, tapping her feet in the grass.

"Do we have to? A wedding isn't something I see often!" the cat cried out. The wolf continued his path without another word. Ruby turned to her with a wave.

"Sorry but we're on a tight schedule. Perhaps we'll get another chance," the Gardevoir said. Helena sighed as her body slouched. She then perked her body back up, giving up any smile.

"Well, we can at least go through and not around." She began to walk into the wedding ground without anyone noticing. Just then, a load of yellow pollens began to land on every tip of her body. "Wow, that tickle-" Her whole body then stiffened. All her fur shot up into the sky. Her pupils shrunk and her body went numb. She then fell to her side as her body twitched.

"Helena!" Ruby hollered. She charged for her friend as Zarex finally caught on. "Stop! Stop!" Her shouts imobolized everyone. They then began to converse with each other as a loud mumble echoed through the forest. Ruby slid on her knees to inspect the cat.

"Oh dear me!" From above, a Beautifly dove down. She was a unique one. The colors of her wings had white stripes with purple circles and her body shinned an elogant light blue. She also had a small green crown resting on her head. "I am sorry darling! I meant you no harm! Quickly my dears! Get me a Cheri Berry!" Fleeing from any work they were doing, they charged shot up to the trees. In seconds, the laborers carried down the berry, handing it to the Beautifly. "Thank you! Here you go love!" She put it in Helena's mouth and made her chew it. It didn't take long for it to take effect as Helena began to breath again.

"Whoa! What happened!?" she cried out. Ruby placed her hands on Helena with a small smile.

"It's okay, everything's fine now," she said. Helena took a couple of deep breaths before she came back to normal. Zarex turned back around.

"If you will pardon us, we'll be leaving," the wolf announced. He began to walk as the others followed, but the Beautifly flew in his path, shaking her head.

"Oh no! I have caused far too much trouble for the young one! Please, allow me to treat you to a dinner at the very least!" She rose her head and clapped her pudgy hands. A few flying bugs went to the ground, each landing, in pairs, next to each of them. "Come! No is not an option!" Ruby and Helena turned to Zarex. The black wolf shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose a quick pitstop will suffise," he suggested. He walked on top of his exports. Once Ruby and Helena wen on theirs, the Beautifly soared to the tree tops. The escorts rose also, catching everyone off guard. Once they pushed themselves through a couple of branches, the light unvailed a glorious sight.

From tree to tree, there were silky cacoons, all with their own original shape and a hole to enter. Many bugs were fluttering around place to place, all holding flowers, food, or their children. As they drove deeper within, the place flourished into a market with many shops from side to side. Most sold a variety of flowers while some were food booths or beauty salons. Aside from that was the largest structure, and most elogant one, out of them all was the one in the palace in the back. It towered over them all with domes and spires on the sides. The Beautifly fluttered to the top as the servants followed. She entered a window were the crew was dropped off.

"Welcome to my home. I hope it suits you darlings," she announced. There were a few wooden drawers, most opened, revealing make up of all kinds. Above them was a shining chandileer made of blooming flowers. The walls were gleamed of a pale pink. "I'm sorry for poor seating choices. We rarely have guests that have legs."

"No problem, I'm used to the ground," Ruby said as she sat down. The rest just sat on their bottoms, gazing around the marvelous room. In a moments notice, the same servants that brought the flightless crew there came in with plates, all full of a multitude of berries. Once the plates were down and the servers exited, the bug Pokemon lowered to their level.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am soon to be Queen Anastasia," she announced as she bowed. Ruby's eyes widened a bit as Helena hopped to her feet. Zarex began eating.

"Oh! I didn't know we were in the presence of royalty!" Ruby commented. Helena stopped her eating completely, looking up at the host.

"Oh no! Did I mess up your wedding!? I'm so sorry!" she shouted. Anastasia chuckled, hovering to her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't freight darling, it's quite fine! It was me who ruined your travels." Helena calmed herself, sitting back down with a few more breaths. Anastasia backed up to her food and began to eat. She kept her eyes fixated on them as she chewed on the substances. Ruby cleared her throat.

"My name is Ruby, and this is Helena and Zarex," she introduced. Helena bowed her head dozens of times while Zarex merely nodded once. Anastasia bowed herself. She straightened up, grabbing a Oran berry while she was at it.

"What brings you here to this part of the forest?" Anastasia questioned, taking a bite of the lucious fruit. Ruby opened her mouth; however, stopped when Zarex cleared his throat. She looked over at Zarex who was glarring at her. She looked away for a second.

"Um, we're just passing through. Zarex here is guiding us through the forest," Ruby explained. Anastasia rubbed her chin, chuckling a bit.

"I see. I was questioning if you were truly a native of this forest. Not many Gardevoirs reside here," she pondered. She shrugged it off and put down the berry. "It isn't any of my business to invade in your troubles. No-"

"Anastaaaaasiaaaa~!" Out of the window flew in a Beedrill. He grabbed Anastasia without even paying attention to any of Ruby's group. Anastasia laughed as he swung her around. "How's my _darling_ soon to be wife?" He finally stopped, smiling joyfully to the Beautifly.

"Ha ha ha ha! Darling! Don't embarress me! I have guests!" she shouted, still chuckling underneath her breath. The Beedrill ceased his action, turning to Ruby and her allies. Helena scrunched up her shoulders and cocked her head to the side.

"Ahhh! You guys are adorable!" Helena cowed. The Beautifly covered her mouth as she giggled. The Beedrill rubbed the back of his head as he blushed. Anastasia patted the chest of her flying companion.

"You guys, please meet my fiance, Prince Rictor of the Hive Clan," Anastasia introduced. She stretched her arm towards her guests. "Rictor, these are my guests, Ruby, Helena, and Zarex. I accidently stunned this marvelolus cat and invited them here as an apology." All three bowed slightly to the royalty in front of them. Rictor laughed out loud.

"Wow! You are as careless as ever my love!" he chortled. Anastasia growled, soon returning to a giggle. "Please to meet you three. It's rare we get guests like you. Most of our guests either fly or climb trees." The Beedrill made a graceful bow.

"You two seem to have a grand bond together," Zarex said with a slight smile. Anastasia and Rictor looked into each others eyes. They starred for a while in a deep trance. They ended it with a smile as they turned back to the Mightyena.

"Honestly, at first, it was an arranged marriage," Rictor announced. He then wrapped an arm around Anastasia and pulled her closer. "But over time, her grace made the thought of that just vanished." He kissed her on the head as she waved her hand to him.

"Oh don't be so modest! You were just as much of a contributor as I was!" she chortled. The two exchanged a quick kiss before giving their attention back to the guests. The Beedrill suddenly turned his attention to his love.

"Oh! I forgot! I have a gift for you back at the castle! Come with me!" he shouted. He began to pull, but Anastasia stood her ground.

"Hold on! I simply can't leave my guests!" she yelled. Rictor stopped, glancing at the three Pokemon. He thought for a few seconds before returning his vision to her.

"They can come with us! I'm sure they are curious enough to explore another kingdom!" he suggested. Anastasia cocked her head to the side a bit.

"I would just feel awful to drag them into something they don't have time for," she said. She averted her attention away from him and to Ruby. "How do you feel about it darlings?" Ruby turned to both Helena and Zarex.

"What do you guys think?" she wondered. Helena smiled with glee.

"I think it would be great! If this place is gorgous, the other one must be just as beautiful!" Helena hollered. Ruby then looked over to the Mightyena. He closed his eyes and waited a bit. He eventually opened them back up and returned his focus on Ruby.

"As long as we leave by sunset," he announced. The Beedrill smiled back at them with a clap of his needles.

"Great! So shall we leave?" he asked. The three rose up. They were about ot grab their plates; however, maids arrived in seconds to pick them up. Once the servants made their way out, the group began their exit out.

"My my, what a group you have here." Everyone turned to the entrance of the room. In came a rather large Mothim. His wings bore crimson stripes as it eluminated a gold light from the inside. He had on a rather larger and more round crown then Anastasia and Rictor. He entered into the room completely before he landed on the ground. "Hello Rictor." Both Anastasia and Rictor bowed slowly. The three in the back bowed along with them. He then noticed Ruby and her group in the back with an eyebrow raised. "Strange guests you have there." Anastasia turned around, then shot her head back to her father.

"I'm sorry father. I was going to inform you immedeately, but it just slipped my mind," Anastasia apoligized. "The tall on is Ruby, the feline is Helena, and the dashing wolf is Zarex." Zarex laughed to himself. The Mothim nodded to them.

"Welcome, I am her Father, King Martin," he introduced. He then turned to his daughter. "Well if I would've known sooner, I would have preppared a feast," he proclaimed. The Beautifly shook her head.

"Oh no father, we were just about to leave. Rictor here says he has a lovely gift for me," she announced. King Martin nodded.

"Sounds fun. Now be safe okay?" he said. The group bowed before any other action was taken. They were about to leave; however, another Pokemon entered into the room.

"Sire." Into the room came in a Glameow. He had blood red fur and dark blue eyes, giving him more a of a masculine feel. "I need to speak with you about something rather . . ." He stopped completely once he caught sight of Ruby. "Important . . ." The Gardevoir turned away a bit until she began to stare with her mouth hanging open.

"Okay Shoner. I make my leave," Martin said as he bowed. He exited the room as Shoner followed, glarring at Ruby before he left. She walked forward a bit, but stopped. The Beautifly grumbled to herself. She then turned back around with a huge smile.

"Shall we leave? Transporation please!" Anastasia clapped her hands. A flurry of flying bugs formed together to make transportations for them like before.

"Convenient!" Helena hollered. Ruby and the group sat on the bugs as they shot off into the forest. The Gardevoir turned back for a second before she turned to Beautifly.

"So who was that?" Ruby hollered. Anastasia grumbled underneath her breath.

"That was Ambassoder Shoner. He's _supposed_ to be the peace maker between both sides, but I think he's repulsive," she snorted. The psychic pokemon took one more look back.

Inside the castle of Martin, the Glameow and the King were walking side by side, talking amongst each other. The hallway was covered with potraits of other kings and queens, wrapped around in a golden silk.

"Well I'm glad you brought this up to me Shoner. Relations with the clans is crutial for our peace to continue," Martin said. Shoner was completely silent, looking towards the ground with his eyes lowered.

"I don't trust her," he finally said. Martin raised an eyebrow and looked down to his level.

"Come now, Anastasia's just traveling to the other kingdom. It's not like she hasn't gone there before," he said. The Glameow shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm speaking of the Gardevoir. I don't think she should be trusted." He looked up in the air and began to rub his chin.

"Your right. I can understand the Delcatty and the Mightyena, but a Gardevoir? You've never been wrong about these kind of things before." He stopped completely, looking upon a picture on a wall. It was one of a Beautifly, one with sparkling antenas and star patterned wings. He took in a deep breath. "Follow them. Protect my daughter." Shoner bowed.

"It will be done." With a few quick pounces, he shot deeper into the hallway and dissapeared in a flash. The Mothim couldn't help but give off a tear before making his way out.

The Glameow quickly dashed down the stairs to the main hallway. He began to accelerate towards open entrance. He jumped out and began to fall towards the ground. With a shift to the left, he landed on a branch further below. He began to jump from tree to tree, looking above to see the traveling group.

"We're almost there!" Rictor hollered. Helena was bouncing up and down in place with eyes wide open.

"Oh! Is it as gorgous as the other kingdom?" she asked. Anastasia turned her head to the curious cat with a grin.

"Darling! You must see to believe!" the bug Pokemon announced. Finally, they entered a light that enlightened a beautiful view.

There were hives all over the perimiter. The trees housed these small hives, most were just living quarters for the residence. A larger comb was in the middle of the opening. It was a market with all types of shops from top to bottom around the upper and lower layers. Many Beedrills, Venemoths, Ninjasks, and Yanmega's flying back and forth. As soon as they saw their prince heading in their direction, they stopped completely and cleared the way. Behind the market comb revealed the enormous castle comb, all hanging from the branch of an aged tree.

"Well, you were right about what you said," Zarex smiled a bit, gazing at his surroundings. The traveling group dove under the marketing hive, rising up surprisingly in front of a few shopers. Most were trying to stop while others just bumped into each other. Before they entered the castle, Rictor began counting the entrance hole underneath.

"Ah! It's this one!" he announced. He shot into the hole while the rest of the group followed. The tunnel was glazed with honey as it twisted through the hive. While they were going through, the transparent walls revealed the interior. They first saw the glorious courtroom that had statues of a large Beedrill all over the ground. They also passed through a few kitchens and some dining rooms before they reached an exit.

"Father!" Rictor cried out. Everyone entered the room soon after. The flying servants dropped everyone else off before they left. They were in a throne room with more statues along the sides. On the wall, there was a honeycomb whole and a chair with clear wings on it. There was also two smaller seats on each side of it, but none of them were taken.

"Where is he darling?" Anastasia wondered. Rictor shrugged, wrapping an arm around his beloved.

"He must be out in public right now. Come! The gift is in my room!" he said. He began to pull her towards the hole where they came from, but Anastasia shook her head.

"But what about our guests?" she wondered. The Beedrill stopped, looking over at the three Pokemon. He let go and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We can't just leave you guys here," he said. Ruby shook her hands frantically.

"No! No! We can wait! We don't want to be a bother!" she shouted. The Beedrill clapped his stingers together.

"Great! We shouldn't be long!" the Prince took his Princess down the hole, dissapearing in a flash. Ruby sat down on the floor and took a breather. Helena sat down also, but Zarex stood in her path.

"We don't have all the time in the world," Zarex said. Ruby smiled slightly.

"Aw come on, it's not even close to sundown," Ruby sneered. Zarex rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. Helena stood up and stretched herself.

"I'm just glad we get a rest from all that fighting. I don't like Pokemon that fight," Helena snorted with her head held high. Zarex glared towards her with a sneer.

"Oh? Then I believe you hate me for today," he chuckled. Helena hopped in the air, sweating slightly.

"N-n-no! I didn't mean you! I mean, you fight to save people!" Helena stammered. Zarex bellowed with laughter. Ruby grinned at the opportunity.

"Oh, and does that mean you hate me too? I feel so hurt!" Ruby said, placing the back of her hand on her forehead. Helena swerved her head back and force, tapping her feet in place. Ruby and Zarex then looked at each other, laughing hysterically. Helena's face then puffed up as she turned around.

"That's not funny! Teasing me like that!" she shouted, raising the corners of her mouth a bit.

Deep in the center of the hive, Anastasia and Rictor were fluttering slowly to his room. In the hallway, the crusted pillars held the glazed cieling up. There were honeycomb vases that had the carvings of other reigning kings. The doors were practically transparent until they reached Rictor's room. It was enclosed by two combs like a door with a hole in the middle. Rictor put his stinger inside, but Anastasia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Rictor," she uttered softly. Rictor hesitated a bit before he turned his head to his beloved.

"What is it?" he replied, releasing his hold onto the door. Anastasia took her had off and placed her hands together on her stomach, looking down and away.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time now . . ." She gulped. Her eyes began to avert away from him. Her body began to swerve around. Rictor turned her back around, mouth gapped open slightly.

"What is it?" His arm was shaking a bit as his breathing fastened. Anastasia closed her eyes as she inhaled a soothing breath. She then looked deep into his eyes.

"Darling, our marriage has been arranged ever since we were born, even during the conflict. I just need to kno-" She was interupted by the lips of the bee. The silence was overwhelmed by passion as the two exchanged their love. As soon as they let go, Rictor shook his head with a chuckle.

"And I've been waiting for you to ask that for a long time now." She couldn't help but giggle back. "Now wait here! I'll get your present!" He jammed his needle into the hole as the door shot open. The door closed behind him as Anastasia leaned against the wall along with a sigh of satisfaction.

Inside the Prince's room, there was a bed on the wall that was glazed with honey along with a large window opposite of the bed, providing light througout the room. Across the entrance was a large potrait of a Beedrill woman with a round crown and hot pink strips instead of black stripes. The Beedrill man fluttered around, scooping his surroundings.

"Hm, where is it?" he muttered to himself. He was scouting hight and low as his wings beated faster and faster. He then stopped to see a glass vase holding bright pink lillies glazed with honey. The honey made it shine even brighter inside the room. Rictor clapped his stingers together. "There we go!" He hovered over to them.

A tail came from the darkness and thwacked him in the back of the head. His eyes shot open as every bit of air shot out of his lungs. He fell to the ground, out cold by the vicious strike. From the cieling, Shoner climbed down with a malicious grin. He poked the unconcious body.

"I'm sorry my prince. You can't interfere with the plans that are unfolding," he sneered. He looked to both sides and stood still. His ears shifted back and forth for a slight second. The fluttering of Anastasia's wings could be heard from outside the room. With a couple of pounces, he exited the window.

Back inside the throne room, all three of the Pokemon were waiting patiently. Helena fell asleep in the process while Zarex sat down with his eyes closed. Ruby was lying on her back with her arms behind her head, starring at the cieling. The natural flow of fluid was a tantalizing sight. The sky was getting dark, so parts of the room was becoming blurry. She was just too entranced by the pattern to see anything at all.

A sound of sandpaper echoed throughout the room. Ruby shot up from her resting pose. Her ears shifted from side to side and her mind was ready. The noise was made yet again, so Ruby went to her feet. She didn't make a sound herself as she slowly rotated her head. From behind her head, a pair of red eyes opened as wings extended. It dove in, creating a loud buzzing sound. Ruby turned around; however, was too late.

Zarex pounced and tackled Ruby, barely dodging an enlarged needle. Helena shot to her feet with all of her fur reaching the skies. Both of their bodies crashed on the ground; however, shot up to their feet to witness their attackers.

"You wicked fiends . . ." the figure said as it rose, causing all to back up as his shadow engulfed them. It was a towering Beedrill with three stingers on each hand. His body was black and his strips were blood red as his clear wings eluminated a silver glow. He pointed one of his hands towards Ruby. "I will take you out first!" He went for another strike, but Ruby shot up her hands and released a blue shield. The bug crashed into the shield.

"Please! We came here with the prince! We don't mean any harm!" Ruby shouted. The man continued to bash the shield as cracks began to form. Zarex readied for an attack.

"You are liers that mean to bring doom to this place! I can see through your muse!" the man shouted. The last strike scattered the shield, leaving Ruby opened. Zarex shot foreward, tackling the enormous bug. The Pokemon stumbled back; yet he was ready for more. Helena went to Ruby's side.

"What's happening!?" she shouted. The monsterous Beedrill began to stomp towards them, teeth grinding. Helena bent her front legs and lowered her upper body while Ruby shifted her body and protected herself with her hands. Zarex lowered his head and arched his shoulders.

"I don't know, but get ready!" Ruby hollered. The enemy hopped into the air and readied to strike. Ruby preppared a dark ball, leaving Helena sparking off a yellow light while Zarex launched to his neck.

Outside Rictor's room, Anastasia shook herself out of the trance. She heard the random slamming sound coming from above. She focused in on the noise, closing her eyes and landing on the ground. After a few moments, she sprung into the air and began slamming on her fiance's door.

"Rictor! Rictor come quick!" she shouted. There was no answer. She continued to bang on the door until she realized there was no answer. She was looking down the hallway and back at the door. She continued to hear and feel the rumbling from above. She held her head as it began to shake. A faint scream was heard. Anastasia's eyes perked open. With a powerful flat, she made her way across the hallway.

Ruby slammed onto the ground, holding her shoulder with pain. The Beedril dove towards the Gardevoir, but she rolled over to dodge the deadly strike. He went for another until Helena smacked him with her tail. He dove his needles into the ground to slow himself down. Zarex bit his shoulder as the bug tried to grab him. The Mightyena hopped all over his body and continued to bite. The Beedrill twiled in the air and let himself drop, bashing his weight on top of the wolf. He twirled over and landed as Zarex struggled to get up. Helena went for a swipe of her claws; however failed when the bug smacked her out of the way. Ruby stood in front of her canine friend as the man charged.

"Ruby?" Anastasia stormed into the room. Ruby lost her focuse to see the Beautifly enter. She reacted at the sight of the enemy, flying in front of Ruby and smacking the man with a gust of wind. The strike was so close and so powerful, it knocked the Beedrill out cold. The room was completely silent. Everyone took a breather to examine what just happened.

"Oh . . . Oh no . . ." Anastasia flew backwards, falling to the ground with a hand covering her face. Ruby went to her level and held her shoulders.

"Anastasia! Who was that!? What just happened!?" Ruby hollered. The princess was petrified as her body shuttered. "Who is he!?"

"He's King Tridrill." Everyone turned straight around to see Shoner along with a company of Venemoths, Beedrills, Ninjasks, and Yanmegas began to surround them. "Anastasia. I can't believe you would betray us like this." Shoner had a slight grin underneath the scowl. The Beautifly clenched her hands.

"It was an accident! Just a misunderstanding!" she cried out. The Glameow simply shook his head.

"It's too obvious here. Your here, there's a couple of suspicious Pokemon, and an unconsious King on the ground. I'd say there's a trecherous act amongst you four . . ." he sneered slightly. He began to walk forward as the troops began to push forward.

"Hey! Stand down!" Anastasia shouted, but her efforts were in vain. "Stand down!" No matter how much she repeated herself, they never listened. Ruby looked back, just to see the wall coming closer.

"You guys, duck and close your eyes once we hit the wall," Ruby whispered. The wolf and cat nodded. The Beautifly shifted her head back a bit on the brink of tears.

"Wha? What on earth are you talking abou-"

"NOW!" Ruby hollered. The Mightyena ducked his head to the ground and shut his eyes. Helena pounced on Anastasia and covered her eyes as well. Ruby's eyes began to glow as she shot her hands up. A wave of tranperant, circle rings shot out of her hands and enveloped the room. All the enemies were caught in surprise. The soildiers each fell one by one. The only one standing was Shoner as he pushed forward, but he eventually fell. Ruby released her breath and lowered her hands. The rest of the group got up from the event that unfolded. Zarex perked his ears up and turned to the hole.

"We must go. More are coming," he announced. He dashed forward and headbutted the wall, creating a hole in the wall. "Let's go!" He hopped in the hole as Helena began to follow. She turned her head back as the sound of buzzing grew closer.

"Come on Ruby!" the cat Pokemon hollered. Ruby saw the broken down butterfly. She was hesitant until more soldiers stormed out of the hole. Ruby quickly grabbed Anastasia and shot for the hole. It wasn't long till the soldiers searched for them, but they were long gone.

The team was dashing through the forest for about fifteen minutes before they finally stopped for a rest. Once the adrenilane shook off of Anastasia, she pushed herself away from the Gardevoir.

"Hey! I must get back to my father! This is dire!" she shouted.

"I suggest you don't," Zarex said. He began to walk to the surprised Pokemon. "You are assumed to be a wanted traitor by the Advisor of both kingdoms." Anastasia's wings began to flutter hysterically.

"How dare you! My father would never rule his vote over mine!"

"Just think about it. He has power in both kingdoms, there are many witnesses that saw the attack and the bodies of the fainted soldiers."

"But those are nothing but lies!"

"Lies are truths in the eyes of the ignorant." He stopped the whole argument from there. The rain began to settle in as the Mightyena turned around. "We should go find shelter. Anastasia, I suggest you come." The wolf began to walk into the abyss of the woods. Helena turned to the bug, then turned to Ruby before she began to run after him. Ruby was losing sight of both of her allies, so she had to flee. The Beautifly was left alone, sulking in the mudy ground.

"Are you sure we should leave her there?" Helena wondered. Zarex kept his eyes forward.

"Leave who there?" he said. Helena was about to shout at him until a voice was heard from behind them.

"Wait!" Anastasia came soaring towards them as they stopped. Once she reached them, she lowered to their level and took a few breaths. "Please, I have nowhere to go now! Will it be a bother for me to travel with you until everything is in order?" Ruby smiled and shook her head.

"Of course not," she announced. Helena ran ahead to an open area. She closed her eyes as her body began to glow a white aura. A string of orange aura spheres surrounded the area, creating her house she left behind. Everyone was a bit amazed to see what she just accomplished.

"Come inside! I'll cook us something good!" Helena shouted. The little spark of goodness gave everyone the strength to go into the house. Ruby wrapped her hand around the Beautifly as they entered.

Inside King Martin's castle, both kings were in the throne room, Martin's soldiers on one side with Tridrill's soldiers on the other. Tridrill was bandaged up and concious, but glaring towards Martin while Rictor was at his side. Martin was giving the same look to his opposer. Shoner was in between the two of them with cautious eyes.

"I know that my kings's anger is at it's peak . . ." he introduced. The two kings growled towards each other. Even the soldiers were ready to attack their opponents. "But the fault doesn't lie in any of us. It lies in the newcomers! They came here to kidnap the princess and frame Tridrill!" He shouted. Martin raised an eyebrow.

"Why would they do that? They knew naught of us and have no motive, unlike Tridrill!" Martin shouted. The soldiers on his side began to chat as the Beedrill king's soldiers prepared themselves.

"Oh but what if that was their motive? What better time is but in chaos? When the princess is tricked to attack the opposing King, she would have no choice but to go with her kidnappers. It's either escape death or face it." He turned to Martin with a glare. "You know the consequences she faces, don't you?" Tridrill rose into the air.

"She should be brought back and imprisoned at the least!" Tridrill shouted. The crowd cheered violently. Martin rose up to the occasion.

"You just want my daughter dead so I have no heir to the throne!" The two sides began to argue, some taunting each other to battle. Shoner chuckled to himself as he grinned.

"Then I'll go get her!" The crowd went silent. Everyone made room for all to see Rictor standing up in front of everyone. He began to jitter a bit, but he opened his mouth. "I know Anastasia better more than anyone! Well, besides her father, but that's not the point! She's an excellent judge of character and a good person, so I don't think our new guests would do anything wrong or she would be influenced to do something like that!" Shoner growled, dispersing his grin.

"And what proof do you have of this, goodness, you suggest?" Shoner snorted. Rictor perked his head forward and arched his eyebrows.

"Okay! Here's your proof! Why don't the both of us go after her? If I get to her first, I'll bring her back alive along with her friends. If you get to her first, you can do whatever. If you find me, well, lets just say if I'm not breathing, then you know thier motive and you can take action. How is that?" Everyone in the room began to converse with each other. Tridrill calmed down, crossing his arms with a grunt.

"Fine! You have one month! Leave first thing in the morning!" Tridrill shouted. He rose into the air and charged for the exit. His troops left one row at a time in a dignified fassion. Shoner grinded his teeth; however, shook it off and replaced with a smile.

"Then let us be off," he said, turning to Martin with a bow. "I will treat your daughter with the upmost respect." He hurtled his way to the exit. Rictor was ready to pursue him, but Martin placed a hand on the Beedrill's shoulder.

"Please, get to her first. Shoner's a non violent Pokemon, but not to strangers. If he gets attacked, he will strike back," Martin explained. Rictor gulped, but gave a confident nod.

"Don't worry, I will," the prince said. With a flap of his wings, he was off along with the rest of the soldiers.. King Martin sat down on his throne. He then looked to the side to see an empty seat. He broke into tears as it echoed throughout the palace.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Red Insanity

The night was slowly turning into day; however, the wild night crawlers were still roaming around for their last ditch effort of food. A few Noctowls were giving off the last hoots before reentering their holes. The grass slowly spewed out the morning dew before the sun would glisten the ground. The moss covered hut that resided on the forest floor was still and quiet. The residents inside were resting soundly. The Delcatty was giving off an alerting snore, nothing anybody noticed. Unknowingly to all, Ruby was tossing and turning on the same couch she rested on before.

Her dreams were coming back to her again. All was in blue as before. She could see black, hazy figure of a cat, one that appeared to be a Delcatty, walking into the distance until it disappeared. Then came another cat figure silhouette, a Glameow to be exact, although this one had wings. It was flying to the right, paying no attention to anything in its way. Eventually, it stopped and landed on the ground meeting up with another cat. This one was unrecognizable to Ruby. It was shaped like a panther with a curl at the end it it's tail. The Delcatty came back to meet them in the middle. They stopped completely; then looked at her. They turned to her and pounced.

"Ah!" Ruby yelped. She held her heart, gasping as she scanned the room. The lot was still asleep. The most it did was cause Helena to kick slightly. Ruby gazed upon the cat as it slept soundly. _"Why is she appearing in my dreams?"_ The looked down and closed her eyes. _"That Glameow, Shoner. He was bad news. Does that mean she's bad news too?" _She held her head and groaned. _"Then who was that other cat? Why am I having these dreams? Why-"_ The sun began to rise slowly. The light startled her and halted her thought process. Zarex was in a close enough place to an opening that the sun struck his eye lids. He shot them open and stretched.

"Wake up everyone," he said. Helena jerked as she yawned. From above, Anastasia let go of the ceiling, stretching with a blank look on her face. She was gazing at the floor as she hovered down. Her arms were rubbing against her arms, sighing constantly.

"Oh, what a day of infamy. I am not welcome in my own kingdom and I am considered a traitor. Oh what have I done to deserve this!" she hollered, holding her head as her body began to spin. "What am I to do? How am I ever to return home?" Her constant worrying caused Zarex to give off a grumble. Ruby wrapped an arm around the concerned Pokemon.

"Hey, it'll all be alright. I'm sure there is hope ahead," Ruby concoled. The Beautifly turned to Ruby, puffing out a bit of air. She came loose from the Psychic Pokemon's grip and cross her arms.

"Oh, and you speak as if you know exactly what how I'm feeling. Do you not get it? I have no family now. I have been separate from everything I call lov-" Anastasia stopped completely, seeing an overwhelming look of depression in her face. Anastasia was so curious, she fluttered over with her head cocked to the side. "Do . . . Do you get it?" Helena walked to the tall Pokemon's side, tapping her side with her front paw. Ruby gave off a faint smile.

"I was captured by a trainer named Chris when I was very young, but enough to remember my parents before I was taken away. Since then, I was trained non-stop and grew up very strong. The only bond I had was with him, but we were separated," she finished. It was enough to shed a tear or two. Anastasia looked down, shrugging her shoulders up a bit.

"Oh darling, I am so sorry. I have been selfishly thinking of myself that I have not focused on others suffering," she said. The flying Pokemon clapped her hands together, putting on an unusual smile. "I just cannot flutter about, hoping things will get better for me! I shall assist you in your journey!" Ruby and Helena shot their shocked looks towards the butterfly.

"W-what? Oh no no no, you don't have to! It's not neces-" Ruby attempted to finish; however, the princess merely fluttered around the Psychic Pokemon.

"Nonsense darling! It is my duty to help those in need! At least until you find your trainer!" she bellowed. Ruby held her hand close to her heart. A warm feeling enveloped her body.

"I . . . I don't know what to say . . ." she said softly. She turned to her fellow cat partner. "How about you?" Helena gave off a chuckle.

"Well why not? It's good to have a friend from above!" she said. Ruby then looked towards Zarex. The Mightyena shrugged.

"As long as she isn't holding us back," he said. Anastasia clapped her stubby hands together.

"Fantastic! Then let us go now!" she shouted. She fluttered out of the make-shift hut. Ruby and Helena couldn't help but laugh as they charged after her. Even Zarex couldn't help but give off a chuckle.

Once they exited the hut, Helena made sure to use her Hidden Power to seclude the hut. As soon as that was done, they mad their way north. The thousands of trees made it seem endless, but a field was on the way. The sun began to peer out of the trees. They eventually made it out of the thickets, peering out into the valley.

"Incredible!" Ruby shouted. The fields seemed endless. It was complete flatland, bushes and long grass as far as the eye can see. Ruby, Helena, and Anastasia were awe stricken by the sight of it all.

"I haven't been outside the forest my whole life! I never imagined anything else more beautiful!" Anastasia said. The sheer openess of the field filled their hearts with wonder, but it also gave some a questionable feeling.

"Um, where is this mountain you were talking about Zarex?" Helena wondered. She peered her head to the left and right, but saw nothing of the sort.

The Mightyena held his paw forward. "It's through there," he announced. At first glance, where he was pointing led to nothing, but gazing further ahead revealed what looked like a plateau. "Meteor Falls."

Helena cocked her head to the side. "Meteor Falls? What's there?" she asked.

"I have heard of that place through legend," Anastasia began. All attention was on her. "It is a place filled with extravagance. It is said that it is a key environment for some Pokemon to evolve. It is also said that many rivers on the east side of the Hoenn derive from the falls. The falls said to be connected to the mountains surrounding it. A truly magnificent thought."

Zarex grinned a bit. "It's not just a thought. It's a reality," he said.

Helena shot her eyes open. "You serious!" she shouted.

"Quite. Now, let's make haste," he suggested.

"After you," Ruby said with a chuckle.

The black wolf lead the way while the other three followed behind. Even though Ruby and Helena reacted with fascination of the environment they laid eyes on, Anastasia couldn't help but exaggerate it to the furthest extent. She would flutter around constantly, wooing at everything that seemed common, but was a rare sight for her to behold.

"The outside world is such a marvelous sight!" she shouted. She landed on the ground ahead of them, gazing upon a pair of blooming dandelions. "Such beauty . . ."

Ruby pushed her way forward, kneeling down to Anastasia's level. "Have you really been stuck in that forest for your whole life?" the Gardevoir asked. The Beautifly starred silently. She still had the smile on her face though.

"It's to be expected darling. I am royalty. I am only fully protected when I am in my kingdom. I had to sacrifice a free, yet dangerous life for a safe and secluded one . . ." Anastasia finished. Oddly enough, she still had the smile upon her face.

"Come," Zarex said softly as he tread forward. The flying bug fluttered forward as Ruby followed.

"But weren't you troubled by it? It must of felt like a prison," Ruby said.

Anastasia shot into the air, head held high and chest out. "Of course not! It is a life that I was given! And besides . . ." she paused. She gazed across the majestic beauty of the nature around her. "It makes viewing this ever so more extravagant." Ruby gazed at what she saw. Before, she saw nothing but a field of grass and a few trees, but she now put herself in Anastasia's feet. The field held more mystery and beauty than she ever thought possible. Something she saw everyday was now a delicacy to her eyes.

"Mystery is beauty," Zarex said. All attention was on him. "A sight that we cannon comprehend, an image we cannot describe but can only feel, is the essence of beauty." He winced over at Helena, making her blush a little.

"Outamyway! Outamyway! Outamyway!" a muffled voice shouted. Everyone turned to the source of the sound in front of them. Mounds of dirt was being forced up by something tunneling under.

"Ack!" Helena shouted as it shot past her paws. Ruby hopped over the hurtling digger, but Zarex merely pushed his paw at the source of the trail.

"Heyheyhey! I have an important message to deliver! Outamyway!" the burrower shouted. It shot his head from the ground and shook the dirt off of it's face. It was a Sandshrew, tan color, but seemingly brown from all the dirt. "Ah, Zarex. I shoulda known it was you. Always bugging me when I'm ona delivery."

Zarex sneered slightly. "My pleasure Kar. What is the message for today?" he asked. The Sandshrew called Kar dug himself out of the ground.

"Wellwellwell, if ya must know, I'm here to bringa message to the little critters of the forest that the Eeveeluters will be on their way to free them from Mariano," he said.

Ruby was a bit shocked. "Oh? But we've already took care of Mariano," she said. Kar shot his eyes over to the Gardevoir. "He and his flock fled a couple days ago."

"Nonono! There was at least 70 of them! You couldn't of taken them on yourself!" he shouted.

"But it's true," Ruby argued..

The Sandshrew waved his hands and turned his head away. "Nonono! I don't believe ya!" Helena came around and thwacked him in the head with her tail.

"She ain't lying! We beat them down ourselves!" Helena shouted. The Sandshrew rubbed his swollen wound.

"Heyheyhey! Whatja do that for!" he bellowed. The two of them gave a death glare towards each other.

"What they speak is truth," Zarex eventually said. Kar stopped in his tracks with his jaw wide open.

"Whatwhatwhat! You serious!" He could barely speak the moment he heard the truth.

"Well, they didn't accomplish the task on their own. I aided them and they inspired the younglings to fight as well. It's as simple as that," he finished. Kar placed his hands on his hips and tapped his feet. He pondered the message he received and let out a snort.

"Yayaya. I guess I have to report back to the Eeveeluters with another message," he muttered to himself. He dove into the ground and shot back the direction he came.

Anastasia flew in between them all, her eyes shot open. "You are the darlings who defeated Mariano? I thought it was Oswald who made his return!" she shouted. The name she mentioned shot into Ruby's head.

"Oswald . . ." she said softly. She marched forward and stood in front of Anastasia. "Oswald. Who exactly is he?" Anastasia froze in shock. Helena jumped back a bit while Zarex cocked his head to the side a little.

"You don't know who Oswald is?" Anastasia asked. Ruby shook her head. She turned around, seeing the reaction everyone else was giving her.

"What? I've never heard of him, honest," Ruby said. Helena pounced forward.

"He's only a legend!" she shouted. "He travels by himself and alone, he helps whoever is in need! He's insanely powerful! If he showed up, he could've taken down Mariano and his birds easily!" The thought of such power seemed to be too much to comprehend for Ruby. The fact that Helena said "he" the whole time made her blush a little. A hero like that rushed in her head.

"He is quite remarkable," Zarex said. He made his way forward as soon as he spoke. "But we must move forward. The sooner we arrive, the better." The three pokemon knew he was right, so they followed.

Traveling through the breezy lands was relaxing for them all. The day wasn't too cold or too hot for them all. The scent of the grass was intoxicating as well as the flowers around them. They would even stop as some trees that bared fruit for a quick snack. Even the persistent Mightyena would treat himself to some. Although, he became the butt of many jokes when he stuffed himself too much. After a few hours of walking, they eventually were close enough to see the Meteor falls.

"Wow, what a rock," Helena said. To them, Meteor Falls seemed nothing more than a what Helena said, a giant rock. It was, however, the end of a chain of hills and plateau's that led to a mountain range afar. She turned her head to the wolf Pokemon with a bit of a frown. "You sure this is the source of water? Looks pretty dull to me."

"I am sure. You shall believe me once we get inside," Zarex said. Again, he began to lead the crowd.

"Now how did I know you were going to end up here?" a sinister voice said. The team shot up their guard, eyes shooting left to right.

"Up there!" Anastasia cried out, pointing above the cave entrance. Their heads shot up to see the red Glameow, Shoner. He was sitting with a bit of a sneer.

"I see your quest is as I suspected, but I can't let you continue any further," he said.

Ruby readied herself for battle. "Leave Anastasia alone!" she shouted.

Shoner flicked his head. "Oh, it's not Anastasia I'm after, but you, Ruby." The Gardevoir froze. Her muscles began to tense. She began to question herself what he meant by that.

Helena hissed with all her might. "What beef do you have with her!" she bellowed.

Zarex bared his teeth. "If it's a fight you want, then we're ready for you!" he howled. The red cat merely chuckled as he began to walk along the rocky cliff.

"Oh, I'm not much of a fighter. It's not my forte to get my paws dirty," he said. The ground began to shake immensely, knocking some of them off balance. It grew even more violent as if the land was going to cave in on itself. Suddenly, a massive Pokemon shot out of the ground with a roar. After the rubble cleared, an Onix was revealed as it glared towards them.

"Uh oh, not good," Helena gulped.

"Let's flee to the cave! He shall have a disadvantage with the lowered ceiling!" Anastasia cried out. Without hesitation, the four Pokemon made for Meteor falls.

Out of the blue, two Gravelers hopped down from where the Glameow was and stomped on the ground. The intense force of their landing caused the entrance to collapse. Their only hope was now surrounded with rocks and rubble.

"Ah ah aaaah. I intend to grab you here and now. No games are to be played here," Shonen growled. He swiped his paw and pointed to the cornered Pokemon. "Take them down!"

The two Gravelers curled into a ball and hurtled themselves towards the victims. All of them attempted to jump out of the way, however, the Onix whipped his tail, smacking them all to the ground. Each one of them was smashed against the wrecking balls. The Onix rose his tail as the two rocks made their wide U-turn. The snake rock slammed its tail down, but Ruby created a blue shield. The tail smashed against the shield as it deflected back. Ruby's eyes began to glow blue as the Onix was enveloped with a blue Aura.

"Watch out!" Helena hollered, pushing Ruby out of the way. The Gardevoir was inches away from being squished by the Gravelers.

"Scoundrels!" Anastasia shouted. She pulled back her wings and threw a powerful gust of wind, but it was nothing more than a breeze to the rock Pokemon. The Onix dug it's tail and curled it up, snatching a good piece of the land. It then threw it swiftly to the flying Pokemon. It was too quick for her as it knocked against her. She hurled to the ground, but regained her posture.

Zarex dodged one of the Gravelers and appeared by the Beautifly's side. "We're at an immense disadvantage," he shouted.

The cat Pokemon hopped over the rolling rock with a hiss. She flipped her body and whacked her tail against it's body, but it did nothing but make her cry out in pain.

She rushed to Zarex's side, blowing on her tail. "I can't to squat to these guys!" she shouted.

Ruby hopped over to them, grinding her teeth. "I need full concentration to attack! Those Gravelers are too much!" she hollered.

"We must think of something quick," Zarex snarled. The Gravelers hurlted towards them. "And I mean now!" He hopped in the air along with Helena. Ruby covered herself with a blue shield as the Gravelers knocked against the shield.

Everything went horribly wrong when the Onix wrapped his tail around Zarex, Anastasia, and Helena.

"Ruby!" the Delcatty shouted. The Onix pulled them towards itself and began to squeeze. They all began to scream as the pain intensified.

"Guys!" Ruby hollered. She formed a purple ball of energy, fixating her gaze on the rocky giant.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a Graveler heading towards her. She cast her orb to it, knocking it across the field. She attempted to prepare another one, but the other Graveler knocked her down. She tried to get up, but the attacks were coming in to quickly. From left to right, back to front, the boulder Pokemon smashed against her. The sounds of her friends' cries was replaced with ringing. Her vision became a haze. The two stroke together, making a finishing blow as she fell.

"RUBYYYYYY!" Helena shouted. Her holler was enough to stop Onix from further squishing his captives.

Shoner didn't grin. He didn't even put on a victors smile. He just sighed. "I'm glad that tragedy is over," he said. He looked up to the three other Pokemon, bringing back his smile. "Now Anastasia! You are going to come with me and forget this ever happened!"

The bug Pokemon struggled as she shouted "What do you mean you fiend!"

Shoner glared towards them. "I mean I'll bring you back to your Kingdom! Safe and sound! Don't you understa-" he stopped as soon as he heard a sound come from Ruby. The Gardevoir began to rise slowly, panting as he struggled to get up.

"RUBY!" Helena shouted with joy. Shoner snarled. In an instant, he glared towards the Gravelers. The rock Pokemon went back into a tumble and hurtled towards the down Gardevoir.

Ruby shot her head up. Her teeth were bare and her eyes glowed a horrific red light. A gust of power came from her as her dress waved in the air. Her green hair began to toss uncontrollably. Rising both hands, she shot her hands out as they emitted a red glow. The two Gravelers glowed the very same color and stopped in their tracks. She lifted her hands along with the two boulders. She began to smash them together as her hands moved wildly. Dozens of times they were smashed together. Everyone could see the pain on their faces. Shonen backed up, gazing upon the horror.

Ruby shoved them both to the ground and took control of the Onix. The rock Pokemon attempted to gain control, but it had no hope. She made him uncurl his tail as her friends fell to the ground. Like a crazed conductor of a mad musical, she moved her hands violently. The body of the Onix curled in itself into a ball. Ruby lifted it high, past the clouds as it cried in pain.

Helena couldn't stand watching such madness. She dashed over to Ruby and tucked her head into Ruby's side. "RUBY STOP!" Her shout was enough. The Gardevoir closed her eyes and fell over. The glow dispersed as she fell over. She was out cold.

"We must leave! Quickly!" Zarex shouted. They all looked up to see the Onix, hurtling down towards them from the sky above.

"Mercy me!" Anastasia shouted. Helena tucked her head under Ruby and they all charged the perimeter of Meteor Falls.

Shoner immediately hopped off the cavern entrance. The Onix crashed against the mountain side, causing a massive destruction of the environment. Dust and rubble scattered everywhere, leaving visibility to absolutely nothing. It took a while, but soon, the dust rose and cleared into the air.

Further down the exterior of Meteor Falls, the group was speed walking away from the entire situation. Ruby still lied on Helena's back, completely winded and out of energy. All were beaten and bruised, but the satisfaction of getting away from it all was enough to ease their pain. Although pain wasn't on their mind. It was the horrifying power Ruby unleashed. Each one of them couldn't help but take a look at the unconscious Gardevoir.

"What . . . What was that?" Helena stammered. She couldn't get the image of her glaring red eyes out of her head. The possibilities of nightmares was very real to her.

"I've never seen a psychic Pokemon with a fiery like hers. It's unimaginable," Anastasia gulped. Her wings were fluttering nervously, making her float in a strange way. Zarex was silent about it. He didn't even give a look at Ruby throughout the entire conversation. Helena was the first one to notice.

"Zarex . . . Do you know what happened to her?" she asked. There was a trace of fear and anxiety in her voice. The black wolf was silent. He closed his eyes the moment she asked her. "You know . . ."

"It's not for me to explain," he said.

"Please!" the cat shouted. Zarex didn't flinch. He remained in his solitude. The Delcatty wanted to beg, she wanted to get on her hands and knees and plead for his cooperation; however, she knew it wouldn't do much good. The subject simmered and died out. Not a word was spoken of it again.

"Where are we headed now darling?" Anastasia asked the Mightyena. He didn't turn to her at all, but was willing enough to speak.

"There is another entrance, an underground route that Kar uses. It's enough for us to travel in, but dangerous," he announced. The Beautifly gulped. She imagined the tight fit walls, the idea of not being able to fly.

She stammered before she could open her mouth. "B-b-but how am I s-supposed to fly?" she asked.

"It's not entirely encased underground. It's just a tunnel that leads to an even bigger one. You'll be able to have enough room to fly once we get in there," he ensured. Anastasia breathed in deeply. "But there are Pokemon that lie in there that will be trouble. It's imperative we stick together." The thought caused both Anastasia and Helena to gulp. They could barely stand the fight between the last two Pokemon. The thought of more of them, or even stronger ones, was horrifying. "Ah, here we are."

A couple paces forward was a mounded trail of dirt, the one that Kar was making. However, there were several other ones, some bigger than his, leading to the same spot. The spot seemed like nothing more than a cliff side, a path to nothing.

Zarex stepped in front of the jointed paths and began to dig his claws in the ground. "Helena, if you don't mind helping," he asked. The Delcatty jumped a bit.

"Oh, uh, sure," she said. Gently, and with Anastasia's help, she let Ruby down to lie on the ground for a bit. The two Pokemon began to dig. It wasn't long till the ground collapsed, revealing a rather small hole. It was enough for them all to fit if they scrunched themselves up enough.

"Ok, follow me," Zarex demanded. He shoved himself into the hole with nothing else to say.

Helena grabbed Ruby with Anastasia's help and was able to tug her in the hole. Luckily, she was skinny enough to fit. They entered into the hole and made sure to fill it back up again, leaving hardly any evidence of their intrusion into the hole.

The two Gravelers and the Onix were motionless, knocked out from the dilemma. Shonen came from the rubble, shaking what dirt he had on him.

"I shouldn't have assumed her demise so easily," he growled. He gazed around, hoping to catch a glimpse of his foe. However, he was left with nothing but a beaten spirit. "I have to find other means of defeating them before this gets any worse." Climbing out of the rubble, he began his investigation around the mountain side.

"What happened here?" a voice said from above. Shoner looked up, coughing out a pebble in his mouth. Down came Rictor, gazing at the mess he was looking upon. "Did you cause an earthquake?" He was shocked to see the massive amount of rubble that was around. He eventually saw the knocked out rock Pokemon camouflaged in the boulders. "No, your beaten up friends did. I knew Anastasia can bite hard but man." He gave off a chuckle and crossed his arms.

Shoner snorted, flicking his tail towards him as he turned away. "The Princess did none of this," he said. His calm tone was a questionable response for Rictore. However, he replied back with his signature grin.

"Heh, you're just mad she beat you." The Glameow looked over at the Beedrill from the corner of his eyes. He kept his composure, but has the slightest hint of worry.

"Ignorance is bliss," he muttered to himself. He ran off to where his targets fled. As soon as he moved, the Beedrill pursued, still keeping his smug grin. Shoner had determination in his eyes, one that transgressed evil intentions. _"It has already begun."_


End file.
